Mat for running-boards.



M. P. McLAUGI -ILIN.

MAT FOR RUNNING BOARDS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.H, 1915.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

ATTEJQNEy MILTON P; McLAUGI-ILIN, 0F WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID J". HURLEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS MAT roit RUNNING-BOARDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oat. in, rain.

Application filed August 11, 1915. Serial No. 45,010.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MILTON P. MCLAUGI-I LIN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Wakefield, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mats for Running-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is embodied on a mat having means'whereby it may be securely, although detachably, engaged with an automobile running board, said means being adapted to cooperate either with a relatively thick, wooden running board or with a relatively thin, metal running board and firmly secure the mat to either form of board, so

that while it may be readily removed, it is not liable to be accidentally displaced.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim. I

0f the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-Figure l represents an edge view of a portion of a thin flanged running board and an edge view of a mat embodying my invention engaged therewith, a portion of the flange be1ng broken away. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and an end view of the mat. Fig. 3 represents a bottom plan view of the running board portion shown by Fig. 1, the mat and its securing means being shown by full and dotted lines.

The same reference characters represent the same or similar parts in all the views.

In the drawings, 12 represents a 'metal running board of ordinary form, the board being relatively thin and provided with a downwardly projecting lip 13 at its outer edge.

1% represents a mat which has a penetrable base or bottom portion, and is preferably an ordinary mat made of cocoa or other fiber having a woven base and tufted top.

In carrying out myinvention, I secure to the penetrable base of the mat a clip or clips made of resilient Wire and adapted to detachabl y secure the mat to the running board, two clips being preferably employed.

Each clip is formed from a single length of parallel with the under side thereof as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, a neck 16 formed to extend across the outer edge of the running board, and an angular arm formed to project under the running board. Said angular arm includes an inner portion 17 formed to extend under'the outer edge of the running board, a laterally extending terminal portion 18 arranged at an angle to the upper arm 15, and to the inner arm portion 17, and a resilient torsional coil or coiled portion 19 connecting the inner portion 17 with the terminal portion 18. I

The torque of the coil 19 is such that when the mat bears on the running board, the terminal portion 18 is pressed upwardly against the under side of the running board with sufiicient force to maintain a strong, frictional. engagement between said terminal portion. and the running board, whether the board is relatively thin as here shown, or is a thicker, wooden. board. The coil also permitsa considerable amplitude of swinging movement of the terminal portion 18, so

that said portion may be depressed as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, to pass under the flange 18, or to bear on the under side of arelatively thick running board. A

The arrangement of the terminal portion 18 at an angle with the upper arm 15 and the lower arm portion 17, enables said terminal portion to bear on the running board at a point spaced from the plane of the upper arm 15, so that said arm is prevented from turning in the socket which it forms for it self in the base of the mat. If the lower arm extended substantially parallel or in the same plane with the upper arm, the upper arm wouldbe liable to turn in its socket and thus permit some loose endwise movement of the mat on the running board. This is prevented by the angular form of the lower arm. Moreover the laterally projecting terminal. portion 18 is arranged to abut against the flange of a flanged running board and act as a stop limiting the accidental outward displacement of the mat.

It will be seen that a mat having a twoarmed clip, the lower arm of which is angular and has a torsional coil, the torque of which presses the terminal of said arm upwardl y against the running board, is adapted to be securely engaged with either a thin or a thick running board, and that if the mat has a tendency to Work outwardly on. a thin running board (which is not usually the case), loss of the mat is prevented by the laterally-extending terminal portion 18, which acts as a positive stop member abutting against the flange 13. The upward pressure of the terminal porton 18 on the running board at a point at one side'of the plane of the inner arm portion 17 presses said portion 17 against the running board, or against the lower edge of the flange l3thereon, so that the angular lower arm is fric ionally engaged with the running boaftt atftwo points, the frictional grip of the lower arm on the running board being correspondingly greater than would be the case if the lower arm contacted with the running board at one point only;

I claim:

A running board mat provided With a securing clip formed from a length of resilient Wire and comprising an upper arm inserted in the base portion of the mat; a neck formed to' extend across the outer edge of the running board, and an angular, lower;-

arm formed to project under the running board and including a transverse terminal portion, and a torsional coiled portion adapted to press the terminal portion against the under side of either a relatively MILTON P. MCLAUGHLIN.

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